Before the NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors looked like a team on the ropes. With inconsistent play and no clear answers from head coach Steve Kerr, the season seemed destined for disappointment. But everything changed after Jimmy Butler’s departure from the Miami Heat—and now, Draymond Green believes the Warriors are legitimate contenders.
At the time of Butler’s arrival, the Warriors were on the outside looking in at the play-in race. Since then, they’ve gone 19-5, playing some of their best basketball of the season. Beyond the team’s turnaround, Butler has also elevated the play of both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. In games where Curry and Butler have shared the floor, Golden State holds an impressive 18-2 record.
Ahead of the Warriors’ matchup with the Lakers, Green sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews to break down Butler’s impact—emphasizing his versatility and fit as key reasons for the Warriors’ sudden title push.
“I think this team has the ability to match different lineups,” Green noted. “When you look at all championship teams, they have abilities that if a team goes big, they can match it. If a team goes small, they can match that. They need a three-point shooting lineup? They can do that. They need an all-defensive lineup? They can go to that lineup”.
“I just think the versatility of this roster with adding Jimmy Butler, and what it does against other matchups, it allows us to match up against anyone,” he continued. “That’s what you need to win a championship”.
Green on Butler’s influence
The four-time NBA champion didn’t hold back when describing how seamless Butler’s fit has been with both himself and Stephen Curry, calling it “a match made in heaven”.
“I can’t necessarily lie to you and say I saw 18-2, but what I saw was who Jimmy Butler is. We already know who Steph Curry is and what he can do and how he can carry. But now you add a force like Jimmy, who is a force on both sides of the ball, when you look at that, I took a step back and was like, ‘Alright, what are the challenges here?’” Green told Andrews. “He wants to win, and I know we want to win. So this is a match made in heaven”.
Butler has elevated both Green and Curry
Butler’s presence in the Bay Area hasn’t just impacted the win column—it’s brought out the best in the Warriors’ biggest stars. Curry, freed from heavy playmaking duties, has found more scoring opportunities and is coming off a 52-point explosion in a win over the Grizzlies.
Green, meanwhile, looks revitalized. With Butler now shouldering part of the defensive workload, Green’s intensity and impact on that end have reached new heights. Recently named Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month for March, he’s now gaining serious traction as a contender for his second Defensive Player of the Year award.